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Wednesday, 31 December 2014

Oppo launched its slimmest smartphone Oppo R5 at Rs 29,990. Oppo R5 measures 4.85mm in thickness, will be available for pre-booking starting January 1, 2015 onwards.

Oppo R5 features a 5.2-inch (1080 x 1920 pixels) Full HD AMOLED display powered by 1.5 GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939) processor with Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 16GB. It sports a 13MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 5MP front-facing camera. It runs on Color OS 2.0 based on Android 4.4 KitKat and has 2000 mAh battery with Oppo's VOOC charging technology to get a 75% charge in 30 minutes.

Commenting on the launch, Tom Lu, CEO, Oppo India said, "This phone has been developed with the end user in mind. We used cutting edge manufacturing techniques to create a phone that fits perfectly into the users' hands, and that feels incredible. The frame has been forged nine times and then finished by hand to give a perfect sheen and feel. It has a quality that is not available anywhere else in the industry. The R5, like the rest of the R series delivers a truly stylish, exquisite and distinctive design and will continue to delight our customers with its innovative yet practical functions."

Samsung launched the "World's First LTE Advanced Tri-Band Carrier Aggregation Smartphone" - the Galaxy Note 4S-LTE. The device receives three different frequency bands and aggregates them into a single connection, supporting Category 6 network service with speeds of up to 300 Mbps. Users can download a 700MB video in about 19 seconds or 10 songs with 40MB in about one second.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4S-LTE features a 5-inch Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) Super AMOLED display powered by 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 32GB and can be expanded via microSD up to 64GB. It sports a 13MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 2MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and has 2600 mAh battery.

A US hospital is set to use Google Glass to enable mothers stay in contact with their newborns even after the infants are shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

The experiment is to be conducted at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston next week, Glass Almanac, the leading website for Google Glass enthusiasts, reported. The suggestion for the test was mooted by the hospital’s nurse Stephanie Shine, whose baby remained in newborn ICU for 101 days.

Hundreds of babies are separated from their mothers after birth each year because one or both of them need immediate care, The Boston Globe reported. Stephanie Shine, a nurse at the hospital, wants those mothers to see their newborns through the eyes of their partners: They will wear Google Glass while visiting the intensive care unit, and the images they see will stream live to a tablet computer in the mom's hands. It will allow the mothers to hear the nurses talking about her baby and ask questions, as if she were in the room.

The experiment aims to find out if using Glass can help relieve the stress that mom feels while she and her newborn are separated.

Boston Globe quotes Stephanie Shine saying that, “You should be the most important person in your baby's life, but suddenly, you're not involved. I want to take this super-high-tech device and capture what could be thought of as one of the strongest and basic human connections there is.”

Sunday, 28 December 2014

Usually people have the habit of upgrading their phone when something new launches. After upgrading to a new one, the old phone is sold at a very cheap price or it will be of no use.

There a many ways where you can use your old smartphone. Here I have listed 5 different ways how you can make use of your old smartphone.

1. Home security camera

There are many ways where you can turn your smartphone to a home security device. You can fix it on a window or in a corner and use it as a home surveillance device. There are many applications which will help you to turn your phone into a home security device. If you want it on iPhone or iPod, you have apps like iCamSpy, Presence, iVigilo Smartcam. for Android users you have apps like IP Webcam, Mobiola WebCamera.

You simply need to connect your phone to a WiFi network and install the app and place the smartphone in a suitable place.

2. Use it as a wireless router

Why waste money in buying Wifi dongle or data card, if you have a old smartphone you can make use of it as a wireless router. You can use the WiFi Hotspot feature of your phone to it to a connect multiple devices. You just need to have a 3G SIM with good data plan and good network.

3. Use it to keep an eye on the newborn

You can turn your old smartphone to a device which can monitor your new born baby. There are apps like Cloud baby monitor for iOS devices and Dormi for Android devices , which helps you to stay connected. There are options like real time video, two way communication provided by the app.

4. Navigation system

Why purchase a standalone GPS navigator for the car when you can use your old smartphone. All you need is to purchase a smartphone holder for your car. There a several navigation app that you can make use of, some of the app which can be used for navigation are CoPilot, Google maps both for Android and iOS devices. The Hudway app which is available for both Android and iOS devices allows you to see your directions and route right on your windshield.

5. Alarm clock

If you are still planning to buy an Alarm clock, you should think of it. You can use your smartphone. There are dozens of apps which can turn your Android tablet or smartphone into an Alarm clock. You can set alarms, schedules, reminders to keep you up on time.

According to DigiTimes, HTC is planing to come up with more entry level 4G smartphones in Q1, 2015.

Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia said,"The company is also expecting a double digit growth in shipments next year. He also noted that sales of HTC's RE mini camera, which was launched earlier this month, have been strong, with the company expecting over 20,000 units to be sold by the end of the year".

HTC began to market its mid-range HTC Desire 820 dual-sim in cooperation with Chunghaw Telecom (CHT) in November and will release HTC Desire 820 single-sim in January 2015, Tong said.

Saturday, 27 December 2014

HTC adds new features to their HTC Gallery App. Now you can access directly to your cloud storage through HTC Gallery App. You can add Facebook, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Flickr accounts and view images from them easily.

Tagging is the another update where you can tag your photos accordingly any the search will be easier later.

The Face Fusion update allows you to transform two different faces into one easily. Now the Face Fusion photo editor has come for all the HTC users. HTC One (M8) users are already enjoying this feature.

MTV launched its Fashiontrix by Soundlogic range of accessories on Flipkart with a starting price of Rs 499. The accessories include gadgets like earphones, power banks and speakers ranging from Rs. 499 up to Rs. 10,999.

The speaker categories from Soundlogic will be available in four variants - Noise, Capsule, Rock, Barrel. Earphones include : Sound Pod and Stud. Headphones include : Thump and Boom. A fitness band Pump and a 3600 mAh power bank is called Diet.

Michael Adnani, VP – Retail & Head of Brand Alliances, Flipkart said,"We are thrilled to introduce the MTV Fashiontronix range as a Flipkart exclusive. MTV India, an iconic youth brand, is well-known for its distinct and cult merchandise and we are confident that the partnership will enable us to create more excitement in the product space for today’s youth".

Saugato Bhowmik, Sr. VP & Business Head, Viacom 18 Consumer Products, said,"It’s a pleasure to introduce MTV Fashiontronix sound gear and gadgets that are a great mix of style, design and price which make them perfect for the youth. So, no more compromise between funky and affordable for the young people out there. They can now enjoy great sound at a great price and look cool while doing it! Online is the way to go for young shoppers today and we’re extremely thrilled to have Flipkart – India’s leading e-commerce platform as the exclusive partner for MTV Fashiontronix".

Kodak is planing to launch its first smartphone in a range of Android mobile devices at CES 2015. Kodak has partnered with mobile device manufacturer Bullitt Group.

The handset would be photography-centric and would offer high end photo software’s and features which can be used for taking, storing and printing photos. The smartphone will come with pre-installed software for clicking, sorting and printing images, along with a unique user interface. The company stated in a press release that the smartphone will offer “the latest Android OS and features found on high-end smartphones”.

Oliver Schulte, CEO, Bullitt Mobile, said, “Kodak is one of the world’s most recognizable brands. It is trusted by consumers as a marque of quality and innovation. We've taken that heritage and used it to inspire a range of beautifully designed devices that will let users take great pictures and edit, share, store and print them in an instant.”

After Samsung's "Look At Me" App, it's Google Glass to help children with Autism. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based start-up called Brain Power is developing Google Glass apps as well that can help autistic kids learn communication skills.

As reported by TechCrunch,"Autism disorder spectrum is so wide, Brain Power is initially focusing on children with moderate to high-functioning autism, though it hopes to extend its apps' capabilities to other kids as well".

Havard Medical school by Brain Power's team will be conducting a Brain Power's beta programme for 200 people those who have signed up in three stages next year.

According to Sahin, Google Glass is ideal for helping kids with autism because it has an accelerometer chip that enables head gestures which Brain Power uses to track when kids look or do not look at their parents.

Brain Power's Google Glass apps helps kids interact children interact with their parents and make eye contact by presenting exercises like a game. The app includes "social engagement module monitors" that assess how a child engaged with his or her parents, specifically if they are looking at their parents' face and eyes.

Friday, 26 December 2014

Samsung closes one of its flagship experience stores in London. It was one out of its ten exclusive stores located in Westfield Stratford shopping center, UK.

The company in a statement to Verge, "We remain fully committed to the operation of the remaining nine Samsung Experience Stores across the UK, and wish to reassure our customers that those stores will not be affected by this decision."

No word given for the closure of the store. It might be due to the poor sales in recent times. Has online shopping taken over retail shopping? A big question mark why is Samsung shutting down a store in one of the biggest mall throughout the UK.

Thursday, 25 December 2014

HTC Desire Eye which was unveiled back in October was supposed to go on sale in late November exclusively on Amazon India. This didn't happen as the website still shows "coming soon". Today a Mumbai-based retailer claimed that the smartphone is now available in India.

HTC Desire Eye features a 5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display with Corning Gorilla glass 3 powered by 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 16GB and can be expanded via microSD card up to 128GB. It sports a 13MP rear camera with dual LED Flash and a 13MP front-facing camera with dual LED Flash. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense 6.0 on top and has 2400 mAh battery.

Asus Pegasus X002 features a 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) capacitive multi touch display powered by 1.5 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6732 64-bit processor with Mali-T760 GPU and 2GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 16GB and can be expanded via microSD up to 32GB. It sports a 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with Zen UI on top and has 2500 mAh battery.

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Here is some good news for all the Selfie Fans in India. South Korean consumer electronics maker LG on Friday launched 'The Great Indian Selfie' campaign to create world's largest online selfie canvas.

Selfie Smile Click Studios will be set up in 11 Indian cities which include Gurgaon, Jaipur, Kolkata, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai between 19th to 21st December and in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Cochin between 26th to 28th December. You can also click Selfie from anywhere in India using their smartphones and upload it on www.lg.com/in/g3/hiselfie.

LG Launches The Great Indian Selfie Campaign in India

Selfie studios will also showcase a wide range of LG smartphones such as the G3, G3 Beat, G3 Stylus, L Bello and L Fino. These smartphones also let you take gesture selfies, without a press of a button.

Amit Gujral, Marketing Head, LG Mobiles, said, “We are very excited to invite the people of India to be a part of the Great Indian Selfie campaign. This will be a memorable and unique opportunity for the people to come together across the country and create a single canvas that represents India to the world like never before. We at LG Mobiles are creating an environment and platform that offers the biggest opportunity in history for people to experience the fun way of clicking selfies. We also aim to break some of the biggest selfie records in the world in this endeavor.”

LG has launched LG Fx0 smartphone in partnership with Mozilla and operator KDDI in Japan. It is priced at 50,000 yen (US$415 / Rs. 26,300 approx) and will go on sale through KDDI retail starting December 25th.

LG Fx0 features a 4.7-inch (1280 × 720 pixels) HD IPS display powered by 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 (MSM8926 ) processor with Adreno 305 GPU and 1.5GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 16GB and can be expanded via microSD card up to 64GB. It sports a 8MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 2.1MP front-facing camera. It runs on Firefox OS 2.0 and has 2370 mAh battery.

Back in September 2014, Samsung had launched Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, the device was announced at the IFA 2014 in September. Now Samsung has launched it in India at Rs. 64,900.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge features a 5.6-inch (1440 x 2560 pixels) Quad HD Super AMOLED display with 160 pixels curved edge powered by 2.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor with Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 32GB and can be expanded via microSD card up to 64GB. It sports a 16MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 3.7MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and has 3000 mAh battery.

The main feature of Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is its curved screen through which you can access frequently used apps, alerts and device functionality.

Asim Warsi, VP, Mobile & IT, Samsung India, said "Samsung continues with its legacy of pioneering extraordinary innovations and setting new benchmarks in the mobile industry. The Galaxy Note Edge is a stunningly beautiful device equipped with a unique curved screen which not only makes the smartphone distinctive but also delivers a unique way to access information and optimizes functionality. At Samsung, we relentlessly pursue customer-centric innovation and develop devices that enable consumers to express their unique style. The Galaxy Note Edge’s curved design will make the screen more meaningful to users in their everyday lives".

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge will be available in Charcoal Black and Frost White colors. By first week of January 2015 through selected retailers the device can be purchased.

A Los Angeles judge has ordered a stop to a smartphone application that facilitates the delivery of medical marijuana. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert O'Brien issued the preliminary injunction against Nestdrop on Tuesday.

City Attorney Mike Feuer sought the injunction because he says Nestdrop’s business violates Proposition D. The measure approved by voters last year limits the number of Los Angeles dispensaries and bans marijuana delivery services.

According to the lawsuit, the app, called Nestdrop, allows customers to order marijuana via a touch screen and have it delivered anywhere within the city limits.

Nestdrop co-founder Michael Pycher said, "Patients use Nestdrop in order to have their medicine delivered, often because they are either too sick from their symptoms or unwilling to inconvenience a friend or loved one that would need to go to the collective (marijuana dispensary) on their behalf. His firm will continue to serve areas outside Los Angeles city limits."

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Xiaomi had previously told that Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G will go on sale from 30th December.
Xiaomi is priced at Rs. 9,999. Registration for Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G starts from today 6 PM onwards on Flipkart. Apart from Flipkart, the device will also be available from Airtel. The registration has already begun in Airtel's site.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G features a 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 powered by 1.6 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 400 (MSM8928) processor with Adreno 305 and 2GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 8GB and can be expanded via microSD card up to 32GB. It sports a 13MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 5MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI v5 on top and has 3100 mAh battery.

Swipe Marathon features a 4.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) qHD IPS display powered by 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB RAM. It has an internal storage of 4GB and can be expanded via microSD card up to 32GB. It sports a 5MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 0.3MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and has 4000 mAh battery.

Samsung has come out with an App named "LOOK AT ME" which helps the children with Autism. The main motive of the App is to help autistic children make eye contact, read facial expressions, and express their emotions.

Right off now the Korean company has collaborated with Autism Speaks Canada, an organisation dealing with autistic children. They have decided to give away 200 Galaxy Tab S devices preloaded with Look at Me app to 200 parents who have autistic children. You can apply it here.

Samsung 'LOOK AT ME' App

About Look at Me Project, Samsung said, "The Look at Me Project is designed to create a shared community to connect families with similar experiences. This project hopes to facilitate meaningful connections between parents, caregivers, and their children, as well as to foster connections between the 200 families selected.

The app aims to improve an individual’s ability to make eye contact. A multidisciplinary team of clinical psychologists, cognitive psychologists, and psychiatrists have dedicated their participation in developing the app curriculum. The app is currently under clinical testing to verify its effectiveness through research. The app keeps children motivated and highly concentrated by using the camera function of digital devices that often appeal to children’s interests.

It also features a point system, themed missions, various rewards, and visual or sound effects to keep children engaged. Levels can be customized based on the children’s achievements. Each mission in the app requires interaction between parents and their children to encourage positive relationships and connections.

The recommended time to use the Look at Me app is 15-20 minutes each day. The app also gives feedback to parents on their children’s daily performance progress through a systematic parental dashboard."

Philips had launched Philips S388 back in August, now it has listed Philips S398 in its official website. There is no word on the pricing of the smartphone or the launch date yet.

Philips S398 features a 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display powered by 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582M processor and 1GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 8GB and can be expanded via microSD card up to 32GB. It sports a 8MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 2MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and has 2040 mAh battery.

Monday, 22 December 2014

Videocon Infinium Z50 Nova features a 5-inch (960 x 540 pixels) qHD capacitive touch screen display powered by 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor with Mali 400 GPU and 1GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 8Gb and can be expanded via microSD card up to 32GB. It sports a 8MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 2MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and has 1900 mAh battery.

Videocon Infinium Z50 Nova

Key Features :-

5-inch (960 x 540 pixels) qHD capacitive touch screen display

1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor with Mali 400 GPU

1GB RAM

8GB internal storage, Expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD

8MP rear camera with LED Flash

2MP front-facing camera

Android 4.4 KitKat

Dual SIM

3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS

1900 mAh battery

Commenting on the launch, Jerold Pereira, CEO, Videocon Mobile Phones said, "Today, consumers intend to own a smartphone with advanced technology, maximum features and stunning design. We as a consumer-centric brand cater to these demands of the consumers and bring brilliant specs and stunning performance at a reasonable cost. A great choice for the uber smart-generation, Infinium Z50 Nova offers affordability and stylishness providing a smooth, faster and never before seen smartphone experience to the consumers".

Now its time for Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka to taste Google Android One. It was back in September, Google launched Android One in India. Now Google is expanding the product to the neighboring countries.

Android One Smartphones

Karbonn, Spice and Micromax have partnered with Google Android One in India. In addition to these Bangladesh’s own Symphony will launch their first Android One phone with the Symphony Roar A50.

Caesar Sengupta, VP, Product Management says, "we’re taking another step toward reaching the next five billion people: in the coming weeks, the Android One devices will start to go on sale in India’s neighboring countries of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. A wide range of manufacturers and network partners such as Banglalink will begin to sell Android One smartphones."

Micromax Canvas Tab P470 features a 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) IPS display powered by 1.2 GHz dual-core MediaTek MT8312 processor with Mali 400 GPU and 1GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 8GB and can be expanded via microSD card up to 32GB. It sports a 5MP Fixed Focus rear camera with LED flash and a 0.3MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and has 3200 mAh battery.

Back in December 2012, Instagram had added two new filters Mayfair and Willow. After two years Instagram has added five new filters to give users more options to experiment with still images. The five filters are called Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Aden and Perpetua.

"Inspired by the photography, art, fashion and design of the global Instagram community, we're releasing five new filters that we believe are our best yet," stated the blog post. "They soften and subtly shift colours to achieve the look and feel you want for your each photo."

As the new filters are added, The way the filters are displayed are updated which makes it easier to choose the filters. When you go to apply a filter to your photo, each filter icon on the bottom now displays a blurred preview of your photo with its effect applied. This lets you see at a glance how your photo will appear with each filter applied. The new manage button make it easier for the user to keep the filters as they wish. You can even hide the filters that you use rarely from the screen.

Instagram for iOS version 6.4.0 is available today in Apple’s App Store, and Instagram for Android version 6.12.0 is available today on Google Play.

ZTE has launched ZTE Star 2 smartphone today,the successor to its Star 1 smartphone unveiled back in April this year.

ZTE Star 2 features a 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD OGS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 powered by 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 16GB and can be expanded via microSD card. It sports a 13MP auto focus camera with dual LED and a 5MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat) with MiFavor 3.0 UI on top and has 2300 mAh battery.

The main feature of ZTE Star2 is its voice control support. The voice control system on the ZTE Star 2 is active even when the phone is not connected to the Internet, and ZTE says that it has a response time of 1.2 seconds and a 90% success rate even in noisy environments.

Thursday, 18 December 2014

The company’s first Windows Phone 8.1 smartphone, iBall Andi 4L PULSE is launched and available in retail stores, according to Mahesh Telecom.

iBall Andi 4L PULSE features a 4-inch WVGA display powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor and 1GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 4GB an can be expanded via microSD card up to 64GB. It sports a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash. It runs on Windows Phone 8.1 and has 1500 mAh battery.

Micromax Yureka features a 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display powered by a Octa-Core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (4×1.7GHz + 4×1.0GHz) processor with Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB DDR3 RAM. It has an internal storage of 16GB an can be expanded via microSD card up to 32GB. It sports a 13MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 5MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat) CyanogenMod OS 11 and has 2500 mAh battery.

Micromax Yureka will be available exclusively on Amazon.in and registrations will start on December 19th 2PM on Amazon. It will go on sale in the second week of January 2015. Micromax Yureka is a available in Moonstone color. It offers warranty even the phone is rooted and it has unlockable boot loader. It will also release kernel source code. It also offers free repair or replacement at doorstep.

BlackBerry launched the BlackBerry Classic with a full QWERTY physical keyboard at an event in New York.

BlackBerry Classic features a 3.5-inch (720 x 720 pixels) touch screen display with 294 PPI powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and 2GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 16GB and can be expanded via microSD card up to 128GB. It sports a 8-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED Flash and a 2-megapixel front facing camera. It runs on BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 and has 2515 mAh non-removable battery.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear is available in Momentum In-Ear i Black, specifically designed for Apple products and is priced at Rs. 6,990. The Momentum In-Ear g will be soon available for Androids devices in India in the coming months.

Commenting on the launch, Kapil Gulati, VP, Sales and Marketing, Sennheiser Consumer Electronics, India said "Amalgamation of style and substance is key to the Momentum range. Answering the needs of those who refuse to make compromises, we at Sennheisser take the consumer experience to another level with the launch of each product. We are now thrilled to announce a new member of the family, the Momentum In-Ear, which brings the same level of passion and innovation to headphones, delivering the ultimate music Momentum experience on the go".

iBall launched Slide 3G Q7218 tablet priced at Rs 6,499. The tablet is yet to be listed on the company's website.

iBall Slide 3G Q7218 features a 7-inch (480x800 pixels) display powered by 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 processor and 512MB RAM. It has an internal storage of 8GB which can be expanded via microSD card up to 32GB. It sports a 2MP rear camera and a front camera for video calling. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and has 2500 mAh battery.